Student Ex-Fae-nge
by TrySomeThingOld
Summary: Bo worked hard to make changes in their colony, including forming an all-fae High School to encourage cooperation between fae. Now a young Changeling and Gemini are about to attempt to change the world. Jo and Becka travel to Japan, attend Ouran Academy as teenage ambassadors for their colony and all of fae-kind, mayhem ensues. Mirror fic written on CalyWraith.
1. Chapter 1

Clicks and whirs echoed in the small room as the two sixteen year old girls stared at the screen in front of them, the shorter one's fingers a blur across the keyboard.

"I put in our basic information, appearance, age, and then I added your excellence in French and English, as well as my knack for computer systems." Becka, the shorter girl, explained excitedly.

"What did you put down in that box… um, 'interests'?" Jo asked.

"Just the basics, nothing too sensitive, mostly junk about new cultures, my grasp of Japanese, educational stuff. Things that made us look good, basically." Becka replied.

The other girl shook her head and puffed out a breath in a worried sigh. "There are a lot of other students who would jump at an opportunity like this, even if one of us got in, there's no guarantee we'd both make it."

The student exchange was an experiment by their school board's Chairman, who arranged several trips throughout the year to different schools around the world. The first one was an immensely prestigious academy in Tokyo, Japan-and that was the one that Becka was determined to get into. Once Jo heard about it and Becka explained why she wanted to go, her best friend demanded to be taken along if she could. Problem was, they were only sending two students out of the hundred or so applying for the program, as they could only afford to send one chaperon and two teenagers was almost too many already without the "special circumstances" involving kids from Fitzpatrick's School for the Specially Gifted.

Becka's grin, one that would terrify anyone who knew her-luckily there weren't many who did know her well enough to know better-made Jo shiver visibly. "That's why I'm working the keyboard." Her tone dripped with malevolent glee. "Trust me, I've got a plan to make sure we're the only choice."

"Oh. My. God. You're really serious about this!" Joanna's jaw dropped, and Becka pushed it back up with her hand. "I almost forget sometimes how conniving you can be." She smiled, and nodded approvingly.

The next day began long before the dawn, with two dark figures clad in black shuffling from hallway to hallway, avoiding all light spilling from rooms that indicated occupancy. Just before they turned the corner to the main office, Becka held out a hand to stop Jo and pressed on finger to her lips. Carefully she peeked around the corner and let her eyes adjust to the light spilling from the bottom of the closed door. "Crap. I forgot about the janitor." She thought to herself and slipped back around the corner, pressing herself tightly against the painted blue and white wall. She turned to apologize to Jo for being too cocky, but the girl was gone!

Suddenly there was a loud banging noise coming clearly from the opposite direction. Becka heard the office door open forcefully, and a rough cursing in another language. "You little shits get out of the cafeteria! Damn spoiled brats think you can break in and mess around!" the man screamed and pounded away from the still open door. As soon as he was clear, the girl ran and caught the self-closing door to the office before it locked her out.

"Yes! Thank you, Jo!" she whispered, and hoped her friend was quick enough to get out of there before actually getting caught. she slipped into the main office and headed directly for the desk of both her and Jo's worst enemy at Fitzpatrick's. Vice Principle Maslanka. Or Mrs. Monstrous, as she was often nicknamed. Out of a small satchel she carried, Becka pulled out a small removable hard-drive and a sealed thermos.

"Oops, Mrs Maslanka, you should be more careful about the help you hire, these temp secretaries have the worst tempers when you fire them right before leaving for the weekend!" Becka giggled to herself and plugged the hard drive into the tower. After the file was finished downloading and Becka had the hard drive safely in her pack, she took the thermos and poured the contents all over the keyboard, plugging it back in once she knew it would dry quickly. Gloved hands set the thermos on the floor looking like it had been dropped in a huff of resentment.

Now Becka took a deep breath, struggling as always to keep a handle on mixed emotions. She couldn't afford to lose control right now, she was so close to Tokyo.

"Are you almost done gloating to yourself?" The voice made Becka jump out of her skin, but when she saw Jo standing in the doorway, she flushed part from embarrassment and part from panicked anger, but smothered it as quickly as she could.

"Are you crazy? We're going to get caught!" She hissed, and dragged Jo out of the room, making sure the office door closed silently behind them. They left together out the front door and headed to the back woods that edged the school parking lot.

When they reached her car, Jo started laughing. "Edd is a bit preoccupied explaining to the Labs techs how their entire frog population got into the kitchen, sitting under the 'specials' sign." She clutched her sides. "Frog leg special! Heee."

Becka shook her head, but chuckled despite herself. "I was going to thank you for the distraction, but I think you would have done it for the shits. Are you sure no one saw you?"

"Nah, Not even the techs who just got here. I was already at the office when I heard them at the cafeteria, bellowing." She waved her hand and sighed. "Well, let's go home and get dressed. And you've got to tell me what you actually did in there. It looked like a mess!"

Becka nodded, but she wasn't smiling. "I'm going to have a lot more explaining to do once my Dad finds out I'm going, I didn't exactly tell him I had applied for this, even if it _was_ partially his idea."

Jo's arm wrapped reassuringly around her best friend. "I'm sure he'll be fine with it. I mean, you convinced him to have the first exchange be in Japan, _and_ you helped the negotiations with the most renowned school in Japan! Why wouldn't you be allowed to go? I'm surprised _he_ didn't insist on you going in the first place!"

Shrugging, Becka slumped into the passenger's seat and buckled up. "I was-well am-still kinda grounded. For that stuff last year, and he doesn't like to let me out of his sight, let alone the country." She turned to Jo and sighed. "If you hadn't started at Fitzpatrick's, I think I would have gone crazy. Thanks to you, and this trip, I'm one step closer to freedom. This Ouran Academy is sure to give me just what I need for my college application."

"T.I.T., you better get ready because Becka Thornwood is coming to ya!" She giggled again. "I can't believe your college of choice is called tit. just hilarious." She didn't stop laughing until they reached the Dal, when Becka shushed her.

"I'll see you at school." She whispered and watched Jo pull away from the bar quietly. Once again she felt a tiny pang of jealousy seeing her best friend with the most significant sign of freedom a teenager can get. Last year Becka had passed her Learner's exam, before the Grounding of a Lifetime, which apparently included being allowed to drive.

"I'm not even allowed a stupid scooter." The girl muttered and kicked the dirt with her black knee-length boots. Just then an approaching delivery truck reminded Becka she wasn't supposed to be outside, fully dressed in her "shadow thief" gear early in the morning before school. She ran around the truck and slipped inside the kitchen door, being careful not to be seen by either the delivery men or the kid who her dad had hired to help out at the bar. Managing to get through the kitchen, the last thing Becka expected to see was her adoptive father, standing at the bar with her school bag, cleaning glasses as Dyson always did when he was trying to stay calm.

"Do I even want to know what you were doing out this morning with that girl?" His voice held a hint of feral growl she could tell he was trying to keep under control. Becka's clothes became loose as she suddenly felt smaller.

Trying on a false bravado, the girl stood her ground. "That girl is my best friend. And you said I was allowed out as long as it was with another Fae. Jo and I were... studying." Becka took a deep breath, _now or never,_ she thought. "We were brushing up our language skills, especially our Japanese in case we got picked for the Student Exchange." She rushed through it, hoping beyond reason he wouldn't see through the lie and that he wouldn't explode on her.

He didn't blow up. He set the glass down and his face went almost purple, but he didn't blow up. "Becka, last year when you helped set up this exchange, I-well Bo and I were both very grateful. But that was before we found out about your other extra-curricular activities, and by the time we found out why you wanted to go to Japan, it was too late to cancel the negotiations without insulting some very, very powerful Fae Elders-"

"This is about my future! Not my parents!" Becka surprised herself by being the one to explode. "I didn't find them, but I shouldn't be punished for wanting to know them!"

He reached around the bar and snatched Becka's arm, pulling her towards the restroom and put her in front of the mirror. "Look at yourself. Look at yourself and tell me you're ready to travel across the world and insinuate yourself in a human school."

Reluctantly, Becka peered at her reflection. She'd been able to tell from her clothes feeling tight again that she'd gotten bigger, but now she was almost Dyson's height. Her eyes were so dark they were almost black, and her usually shoulder-length black hair had shot down to her waist, waved and curling tighter at the edges instead of straight and blood red. It hurt a little to see how far she'd lost control, and a voice in the back of her head prayed she hadn't stretched out the boots Kenzi had given her. Again.

"I can control it. Sometimes." She muttered, then remembered. "Kenzi and Dr. Lewis helped me with a wig and contacts to match my real colors. They work, Dad, and I already have a ton of different outfits to fit my changes in height." She concentrated, and shifted her features back, down to the freckles she always hated and usually shifted away, but she knew Dyson liked them so she brought them back. The she turned away from the mirror to look him in the eyes. No longer angry, but worry still hadn't left his eyes. "Dad, please. You know that I love you and nothing is going to change that. I've never accused you of ruining my life, and I don't want to start. I would do anything to go on this trip, the Fae on the School Board at Ouran Academy have the kind of connections that could get me into any college I want, and I want to go to Tokyo Tech." Dyson scoffed but Becka grabbed his hand to stop his retort. "This isn't about my parents, that's a conversation for another time and it doesn't change the fact that T.I.T. is still the best tech school in the world. Just let me try to do this."

Her father shook his head, moved but still stubbornly worried about her. "Not on your own. _If_ and only _if_ you get chosen to go on this trip, I'm choosing your chaperon. Tokyo isn't like our colony. The fae there are still divided, and even though the school is considered neutral territory where both Light and Dark can send their youth along with humans, it doesn't mean they would take lightly to unaligned fae, even young ones."

Becka brightened. "Cool! Kenzi will love the fashion, and she'll be a blast!" she sobered quickly and pretended to be nervous. " _If_ I get picked, that is."

Her father's faced cracked into his trademarked smirk. "Nice try. I'm thinking more like Mark. He'd be better at protecting you, and sniffing out trouble if there is any. _If_ You get chosen. I heard there were a lot of students interested in the program."

"Mark? But he's so... strict!" Becka sighed and muttered under her breath, "He's worse than you sometimes."

But Dyson wasn't going to budge. "He's your older brother, and he remembers what it's like to be a young Fae still learning their powers. He had a pretty big rebellious streak in him once, I think bigger than yours." He chuckled and Becka wondered what the joke was. She seriously doubted Mark ever did anything their dad didn't want him to, he and his boyfriend Vex were just so... perfect. Partners in Criminal Justice and partners in love. Sometimes Becka wondered if her adoptive dad ever compared his son-who he didn't know until Mark was nearly an adult-with the child he adopted as a baby, abandoned and unknown. And very, very far from perfect.

"Oh all right." Becka said exasperatedly. "I'm going to go change clothes, I think i ripped something when I grew five inches." Then she grinned and added "A new record, I think!"

Before she could run off, Dyson grabbed hold of Becka's hand again. "You got another package." His tone was as blank as his face, impossible to read.

"From who?" The girl asked, but without any real emotion. Her hopeful mood was ruined just like that, as Dyson led her back to the bar and placed a small box on top of the wooden surface for her to open.

"Since Evony died there has been a power struggle within the Dark, and we had hoped they would give up their old feuds and finally embrace the peace, but a new Morrigan was named. He sent this with the usual letter. I imagine convincing the only unaligned-and mentally stable-changeling to choose a side-his side-would solidify his claim to power. You would be a great asset in any position." Dyson grasped his adoptive daughter's hand before she could pull it away in disgust. "Becka, you know I don't expect you to make any choice. I learned a long time ago that a person has to choose their own path, even if it might take them away from people they love. You will still be my daughter, and you will always be welcome here if you decide to ally with the Light or with the Dark."

"Mark didn't choose." Becka muttered bitterly. "But then he wasn't sent stupid bribes every month after he shifted for the first time." She flipped open the box and almost forgot to be angry when she saw the glittering set of keys in the box. "Dad, what was in that letter?" She asked and lifted the key chain in front of her face. "Where is the car that goes to these?"

Dyson's face went red again and he looked about two hairs away from going feral. "Damn it!" reaching for his pocket he produced a slim envelope that looked like it had been hurriedly opened and the contents shoved back in haphazardly. Opening it he read it carefully and sighed. "The car is in holding with the Morrigan. I'm not going to let you meet with him."

"But Dad, you _just_ said-" Becka started.

"I said No!" Dyson went totally feral, his eyes and teeth shifting into wolf until there was almost no human left in him. Becka almost peed herself; she had never seen him so angry, at least not with her. "You are grounded, and still do not have your license! The last thing I'm going to allow is you to meet with the leader of the Dark fae, _alone_ to get into a car which you can't even drive anyways!" He snatched the car keys from her hand and threw them into a trash bin behind the bar.

Without a word, Becka scooted away from Dyson and scampered up the stairs towards her bedroom. She threw herself onto her bed, shuddering. _Will he ever give me real freedom?_ She wondered, trying not to cry. _But then, he did agree to me going to Tokyo. Even with Mark, it's something, right?_ Becka bolstered herself with these thoughts, and got up to change out of clothes that now stank of fear-a scent dangerous to wear at the high school built to raise groups of teenage fae through their unique puberty.

It was only later, when she was waiting for Jo to pick her up again, that Becka wondered how safe two humans were going to be going to the Fitzpatrick's, not just to exchange cultures, but to help the fae kids learn to associate with humans, to forge a path of peace not just between Light and Dark, but between the Fae and Human worlds.


	2. Chapter 2

Jo parked her 1969 cherry red Camaro. She'd just dropped off Becka for the night. Their plan had gone off without a hitch, and soon Jo was sure she'd be on her way to Japan, away from the political turbulence of the Fae world – at least the Fae colony. Besides, she was itching to test the waters and make some contacts and connections of her own. Definitely time to celebrate. She flashed the bouncer her ID. Since the laws were being enforced more heavily under the new Morrigan, underage Fae weren't allowed into Carpe Noctem anymore. The bouncer's eyes barely glanced at the piece of plastic between her fingers; they were too focused on the cleavage spilling over her corseted dress. The crinoline made her skirt bounce as she all but skipped into the club, and her studded heels added the extra flair. She tugged on her fingerless gloves just in case. As long as she remembered to use the same ID each time, they wouldn't stop her. The music was pounding; Jo could feel the music, more than she could hear it. It surrounded her, enveloped her, and welcomed her in like an old friend. She slid through the crowd, careful not to bump into anyone.

"Double screwdriver!" She shouted over the music to the bartender, Jason. He nodded, poured her drink and set it in front of her, the orange juice mixed with red food colouring to make it look like blood.

"Tab?" He shouted back and Jo nodded and turned to take in the club, sipping her drink through a straw. It hadn't changed much since Vex had lost it and the new Morrigan's right hand bitch had taken over. Red and purple lights lit up the dance floor, a DJ was spinning tracks on stage, and the dance floor was swarmed with people writhing and grinding, some drunk, some high, most feeding – or trying to.

She just finished her third drink when she felt a hand on her elbow. She looked up to see a dark-eyed, dark haired, tanned human smiling at her, easily mid-twenties to early thirties. He bent over to talk in her ear.

"Can I buy you a drink?" He asked, still needing to shout to be heard over the music. Jo nodded, motioned to Jason, pointed to her empty glass, then to the guy. She didn't know who he was, nor did she really care. It's not like it would matter in the end anyway, he'd make a good quick snack. Jason put the glass down in front of her, before rushing off to wait on another customer. Jo downed it in one gulp. The guy looked surprised and Jo just shrugged. "Do you want to dance?" He asked, leaning in to yell in her ear. His breath on her ear sent a shiver down her spine, but his cologne made her think he'd been bathing it. She had to fight from choking as she gave him her hand and followed him to the dancefloor. A large hand was on her waist, a body behind her, grinding against her. It's time. She swayed her hips against him to the music, lifting a hand over her body, catching her dress just enough to tug it up an inch. She smirked as she felt his hands grip her tighter in response. He's not going anywhere she thought as she lifted her hand over her head to find exposed skin. She settled on his neck, running her hands around the skin as she felt his energy, his essence, his chi flow out of his body, through her exposed fingers, and into hers. She lavished in the feeling of feeding, of finally feeling sated. She felt his knees buckle behind her and she let go. He caught himself before he fell over, and she turned to face him.

"Are you ok?" She yelled, eyes widening when she saw the large man behind him and she inadvertently took a step back. Her dance partner spun around.

"Who the hell are you?" He shouted as the man towered in front of him.

"I feel it only fair to warn you, she's 16." The brawny man said.

"Wha-? But she- I mean- I didn't know! Dude, she's in a club, she's dressed like that..."

"Just go." The other man said, gesturing to the door. The man shot Jo a glare, before stomping out.

"You are aware minors are not allowed in, under the new law, yes?" The man asked, crossing his arms. Jo batted her eyes and put on her most innocent face.

"No, I hadn't heard, been too busy helping learn the family business. Plus it's not like they turned me away." Jo stated. "Obviously you need to revise your security. You're welcome." She smirked. The man raised a brow, but Jo held her ground.

"Follow me, Venser wants a word." He said and turned away, not even waiting for a response as he wove through the crowds. Jo groaned, before jogging to catch up with the man.

They wove through the crowds, dodging patrons and employees until they reached a stairway. The large man opened the door, and held it, obviously waiting for her to go by. Jo sauntered past and down the stairs, the large man close behind. She followed the hallway, ignoring the doors she passed, until she reached a door at the end of the hall. She stood in front, as the large man reached around to knock on the door.

"Enter." The large man opened the door for Jo, closing it behind her. Apparently this was a private party. "Joanna Callister. You are aware Carpe Noctem is off limits to underage Fae, yes?" Venser, a well-built man, with salt and pepper hair, who looked more like a philosopher than a club owner, asked, fingers tapping wildly at the keyboard, eyes not leaving the computer monitor in front of him.

"So I've heard." Jo replied, raising a brow.

"You are acquainted with Becka Thornwood, yes?" He asked, finally looking up at her, folding his hands neatly in front of him. Jo stiffened.

"She is unaligned, as am I – officially. I haven't committed any crimes." She replied tersely.

"Oh no, no, nothing like that. We were just hoping she will align herself to the Dark Fae, and if you are acquainted, then we were hoping you would be of help." Venser chuckled, trying to ease her nerves. It wasn't working.

"Her father is that ass-sniffing Light Fae werewolf, he would never let her." Jo replied, sneering at the mention of Dyson.

"It is a good thing it's not his choice. A Fae with her abilities is valuable, and we cannot lose her to them. I know you are officially unaligned, as of now, but you and I both know you will join with the Morrigan. It would be much easier for you if you were in his good graces, especially if he owed you a favour." Venser stated, before turning back to his computer. "I do not need an answer right away. Sleep on it, return tomorrow. For now, your age will be disregarded, and your drinks are on the club." He waved her out, and Jo took no hesitation turning and walking away. This was exactly the kind of political turbulence I was trying to avoid!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:Jasmine this might seem weird but OF COURSE I remember you! And I am SO glad you found my page and my story! -trysomethingold (previously trysomethingnew).**

Becka threw herself onto her bed, exhausted and not nearly as confident as her best friend in their endeavor. It would still be a week before she knew for sure if the virus she created had done it's job and Jo and she could start planning their overseas trip. Would Dyson really send Mark with them? The son of his blood he never got to raise, looking after the daughter who could never be his blood, though he practically raised her from birth. She liked Mark, but lately having a panther-shifting bossy older brother was a huge pain.

As if summoned by a spell, the familiar sharp knock and not-nearly-as-hesitant-as-she'd-like-door-opening her brother was famous for made Becka jump on her bed, her hair reddening and her perfected "I am _this_ close to killing you!" glare shooting Vex right in the face.

"Woah! Whoops, did I interrupt something... private?" He made a show of peeking around her bedroom, and lowered his voice in a conspiratorial whisper, "You haven't got a naughty friend, or magazine out, have you?"

Becka rolled her eyes and scoffed. "I thought you were Mark. I just got home, I wanted to take a nap before dinner and doing homework." she explained, and relaxed her appearance back to normal-which right now was a teeny bit frumpy.

"Had a busy day, did we? Trouble at the office, perhaps?" Vex closed her bedroom door and plopped himself next to her on the bed, his face completely serious. "Spill all your gossip to me, dove. All the juiciest angst-filled teenage drama." He sighed, and pulled her in for a one-sided hug. "Being young is such a challenge, I remember my teenage years."

Becka pulled him off and chuckled, "That's because you still haven't grown up. I just had a long day, and a late night last night." She tried to shrug it off, knowing any "gossip" she mentioned to Vex would make it's way to Mark-and simultaneously to her dad.

"Early morning? Coffee date maybe? In the school cafeteria with that girl Jo Callister, in all black?"

Becka whirled on him, her exhaustion making it impossible to stop her whole body showing its guilt. "What do you know?" She hissed, gripping his arm tightly.

He looked at her and batted his eyes innocently. "Careful darling. I've never used my juice on you because you're a baby, but I could make you do some incredibly embarrassing things in front of all of your peers at the next pep rally."

She released him and apologized. "Please don't tell my dad, or Mark! I'll do anything!" Becka begged.

"Well, that saves me a bit of work, really." Vex grinned at her. "You see, Daddy dearest would probably rip me to shreds if he knew what I'd been asked to do, let alone what my lovely Mark would do to my remains if I forced you to do anything of the sort against your will. So it's much better for my health that you listen to my offer with an open mind, and ignore the word 'blackmail' if it comes up, alright? The Morrigan sent me."

"I thought you stopped all work for the Dark Fae when you chose the Freedom of Choice with Mark?" She raised her eyebrows.

"My reasons for doing this are my own and none of your business, cherub." His response held a biting chill. "I'm just supposed to help you meet with him. He'll be at Carpe Noctem later tonight, and this-" He handed her a thin plastic card, with a picture of a strange beast on it-"will get you into the club."

Becka took the card and stared, blank-eyed, remembering the car keys Dyson had kept from her. "But I'm grounded, I can't go out after curfew, and there is no way in hell Dad will let me go anywhere near Dark Fae territory let alone a place like Carpe Noctem."

"Hey! I used to run that place!" Vex looked offended. "Now I'll admit it might have gone downhill since I let it go, but it's still a beautiful place of debauchery and darkness!"

Becka just stared and him, and eventually he caved. "Yeah fine it's a dump now, but it's where he wanted to meet. And I will come along as a bodyguard, after we sneak you out of course."

"Well, I trust you a whole lot more than this new Morrigan, but I have to think about it." Her dad had taken the keys for the car away from her, but the Morrigan could probably give her a new set. And she'd be leaving in about couple weeks for Japan, but she could use it when she got back, or maybe make arrangements for it to travel to Tokyo for her to use? She'd be there for six months, so a mode of transportation could come in handy. The gifts that had come from both sides over the months had always come with the obvious scent of a bribe, but the messages made it clear they were simply a taste of the benefits she would receive if she chose a side, and so she could use them guilt free, for a time. How long could she remain unaligned and keep these things?

"Are my powers really that big of a deal?" Becka turned to Vex, for the first time feeling like she could confide in him, like he might know how she felt, having a pretty sought-after ability himself. "I mean, it's not like the Morrigan and the Ash think that I'm clever or strong, or worthwhile as a person, they just like that I can look like anything I want, once I get full control of my shifting." She blinked back tears and felt her appearance shift even frumpier.

Becka hadn't really known Vex to be a compassionate person, but the warmth in his embrace as he wrapped her in a tight, almost fatherly hug made her understand even better what her brother saw in him.

"Hey, no crying love. You are incredibly clever and you know it. You'll let the whole world know it before anyone gets a chance to try to use you. Becka, you're like a little sister to me, and not just because of Mark. I've known you since you were a baby and the last thing I would ever tell anyone is that you could be used like that. I made my choice a long time ago, because I wasn't as strong as I thought I was. And maybe I made the right one because at the time there wasn't really believed to be another option." He held her at arms length and stared right into her eyes."Whatever you choose, you'll be strong and clever and you do it for yourself, alright? No matter what, and Light Dark or otherwise you'll have Vexie on your side."

Wiping away her tears, the girl nodded. "Thanks Vex. Umm, I think I'll go with you tonight, if only to make some things clear to the Morrigan about blackmailing my friends into blackmailing me." She chuckled when Vex tried to look shocked. "Hey, you're the one who said I was clever and it wasn't that hard to figure out. Can I ask another favor though?"

"What's that cherub?" Vex asked, a little defensive but obviously relieved.

Becka inhaled deeply, her breath shaky from crying. "I, I don't really have anything to wear to a night club. You've been there before, so you could help me put something together right?"She turned her bluest, most sympathetic eyes on him.

His smile in response was positively maniacal. "I'll do you one better. Meet me in the pub at ten thirty, and I'll have something for you." He ducked out of her room, then popped his head back to add, "and wear that choker you got from the Ash last week, the _dangerously_ decadent one."

"I was hoping no one knew about _that_ one." Becka grumbled to herself, and threw herself down onto her bed once more. Suddenly too tense to nap, Becka begrudgingly pulled her bag up to her and started on her homework.

She'd plowed ahead a full week's worth-continuing through dinner to cover her nerves from her dad-before Dyson knocked on her bedroom door at ten o'clock to tell her lights out. Becka was startled by the sound and slammed her book shut on her hand in surprise.

"Time for bed, kiddo. Don't forget you have an appointment with Lauren tomorrow, I'll come get you at eight, okay?" he frowned, looking at her hand caught in the pages. "Are you sure you're okay, Becka? You've been studying all night are things alright at school?"

Becka shook her head, hoping beyond hope he couldn't smell guilt like he could almost anything else. "I'm fine, just trying to get a head start on some of this stuff, midterms are gunna be extra tough this year, colleges look at the early prepared more than the last-minute achievements now." She cleared her throat and tried to change the subject. "Umm Dad? After my appointment tomorrow could I go over to Jo's place? It's to study I swear, she's in the French class ahead of me and I'm having trouble with my adjective verbs."

The white lie worked. Dyson smirked a little and nodded. "Yeah, you can. I think you should relax a bit though, don't study too hard." He reached out to ruffle her hair and kissed her head gently. "You need to enjoy being a kid, too." the door shut behind him with a soft _click_ and she turned off her main light so that Dyson would think she'd put her books away and gone to bed.

It took a lot less time than she thought it would for Becka to style her hair in a way she thought looked right, the more complex part of her plan was figuring out the choker she'd gotten from the Ash. It was supposedly charmed for good luck, so the girl understood why Vex wanted her to wear it to a meeting with such a dangerous fae as the Morrigan, but it was so gaudy she felt awkward and clumsy with it. It was a spiderweb of silver and diamonds, knotted in places that made the name _choker_ seem overly appropriate for the jewelry, covering her entire neck and peeking up at the sides to almost reach her earlobes. Once she had it on Becka decided to change her hairstyle again from long and straight to short and spiky for a more dramatic look. it made the necklace stand out more, but otherwise she couldn't excuse the gaudiness at all and she felt off-balance.

Dyson and Becka had lived in the Dal Riada for as long as she could remember. Dyson had inherited the bar from the previous owner, a mysterious man that none of the other adults really talked about much, except that once a year, there was a big gathering and no matter where in the world they were, all of Dyson's friends-and sometimes some Fae Becka had never seen before-a circle of them sat with a drink in their hands and raised it up. "For Trick" They would say, all at once like a ritualistic chant. Becka was never invited to these gatherings and usually only caught the set up or the toast if she managed to sneak out of her room. Just like she did now, wearing a comfortably casual outfit, easy to pass off as pajamas and easy to change out of without messing up her hair or the necklace. The bar was surprisingly not busy for a Friday night, and none of the usual crowd were present. Vex was behind the bar talking to a customer quietly. When Becka managed to catch his eye the mesmer straightened up and called out to the few patrons that the bar was closing early tonight, on Dyson's orders. There wasn't much complaint as fae finished their drinks and gathered coats to leave.

Once the last fae had paid their tab and walked out, Vex turned to Becka. "Your dad's helping Mark with something at work and I told him I'd close up for him since it's Light Fae business. He doesn't need to know I shut down early. Now, let's see.."He pulled aside her collar to look at the choker. "lovely, that's the ticket." He half-passed, half threw a shopping bag at Becka, and snorted with laughter at something on her head.

"Oh my god, is there something wrong with my hair?" she reached up to touch the short pixie cut, it seemed fine, so she didn't know what Vex found so funny.

"Feeling nervous are you love? You're looking a bit peaky and well, green."

Becka's face heated in a heavy blush. "It's not easy to control it, and I've been fighting all day to look normal for dad. I think he thinks I looked _too_ normal today, though." She shrugged and tried to calm down enough for her locks to resume its natural dark brown color.

Vex touched her shoulder, cutting off her concentration. "Don't change it. You'll need all the shock value to intimidate anyone who might mess with you. Go change and I'll meet you at the car in ten." He placed the keys to the Dal on a table so she could lock the doors when she was done, and left her alone.

Shock value? Becka always thought the way her emotions showed through her features in such an obvious and outward manner made her more vulnerable. She couldn't blend in a crowd on her worst days unless she fought every step of the way, and even though she was learning quickly to alter her appearance the way she wanted when she wanted, her wildly-changing hair color was her biggest flaw. The rainbow of emotion was a literal thing for Becka, and she didn't think it could be used to intimidate anyone, especially if they knew what color meant she was cared or nervous or vulnerable. But what if someone didn't know? What if they didn't know the range of her changes, or didn't know her abilities? Could an outward show of power, seemingly subtle, hint at a more dangerous type of fae? Becka thought about this as she changed into the short, tight dress and ballet flats without thinking about what she was doing. By the time she walked out to meet Vex, her long coat was pulled tightly around her and her eyes were round.

"This thing barely covers my ass! I wanted to blend _in_ at Carpe Noctem, not parade around like a piece of meat!" She hissed at him. "Which by the way, I very likely _could be_ if any of the rumours about the fae that go there are true!"

"What? It's black, which is pretty much the only dress code at Carpe Noctem, that dress you're wearing is a very dear hand-me-down lady. It was my favorite outfit to wear back when it was _my_ club." The bitterness in his voice made Becka wince.

"But," She protested weakly. "It's made of rubber cord and it feels like it's falling off."

"Well then it fits you better than it fit me love, be grateful you've got a great rack for your age and species. Now get in we're going to be late and no Morrigan ever has liked to be kept waiting." He tossed her a tiny silk bag on a long cord. "put your phone and card, the id I gave you in there. You've leave your fanny-pack in the car, I'll help you with your makeup on the way."

The bag felt heavy when she caught it, and Becka felt around and pulled out a few small but dangerous looking bladed discs for throwing. They were the same weight and dimensions as the ones Dyson had trained her to use, but she'd never used sharpened ones before.

"Let's hope you don't have to use those." Vex muttered and hopped into his car.

The club was absolutely packed, from the look of the line reaching around the block. Of course, that didn't stop Vex from arrogantly strutting up to the bouncer and staring him down. After a few long moments where no one budged, Becka started to pull the special ID out of her silk clutch, and stopped when she saw the sincere hatred seething in her "bodyguard's" face.

"Don't waste that here kitten. This little twit here used to work for me and it seems he's forgotten a very important lesson in respect. I'm happy to teach him that lesson again, and maybe a few personal scars will help him remember better." Vex's hands twirled in an intricate pattern, but Becka was distracted by the large man suddenly twisted almost completely around himself, his hands forming claws and the attempt to keep them from gouging out his own eyes sent the bouncer careening over the velvet rope into the street.

Dusting off imaginary lint from his sleeve, Vex's face finally relaxed. "Ooh, I needed that." He smiled innocently and grabbed her hand, leading her enthusiastically into Carpe Noctem, barely hesitating to snatch a few large bills from the cover cash box.

There was so much going on in a mixture of black and neon colors she felt a little dizzy, and decided to focus on Vex instead. She inwardly cursed him for his almost-casual black shirt and leather pants, but then she remembered the getup she was wearing used to belong to Vex, and shuddered. Probably best he'd come casual.

"So, is there a VIP section, or an underground poker game, a pleasure dungeon that we head to next?" Becka asked, then added, "please don't say pleasure dungeon, that was a joke and I swear I will leave if you say pleasure dungeon."

Vex looked thoughtful for a moment. "Actually, I wonder if they still have that, or if they cleaned it out in the last remodeling." He waved his arms-Becka tried to ignore the grunts and crashes and especially not look in the direction they came from-and sat her down at one of two suspiciously free sets in front of the bar. He ordered a martini for himself, and a glowing, mint-green concoction appeared in front of her in similar fashion.

"Nah, we've come this far, made our presence known-" Vex swallowed his martini and ordered another. "can't make everything easy for them, they come to us now."

Becka stirred her drink nervously, having no desire to test the greenish liquid. "I've got to use the ladies'" she said, needing an outlet for all the nervous energy that didn't look nervous to anyone else who might be watching. She saw Vex's discreet concern an added, "I'm fine, but come look if I'm not back in five, okay?" She lifted her hand so he could see that she was clutching the silk bad tightly enough to feel the small metal throwing discs. _I really hope I won't have to use these,_ she thought and stood up from her seat.

Immediately Becka could feel eyes on her from all directions. Anxiously fingering the diamond choker and thanking Vex for giving her ballet flats to wear so she wasn't tripping like a moron while under the overwhelming barrage of _something_ within those stares. The attention was intoxicating, and Becka felt attuned to it in a way that didn't seem normal, but strangely natural. So many people staring and whispering, and even with the music reverberating loudly throughout the room, she knew on an unconscious level what they were saying. She wasn't the most outrageously dressed person there, and the curiosity ran deeper than her appearance. _Who is she? How does she do that? Did she look at me?_ What _is she? Why can't I stop staring?_ Voices resounded in her mind, as strong as her own thoughts and much more.

It was like tasting the air at a banquet, the hunger thundering in her blood so that she could barely move, but suddenly Becka felt a measure of control she hadn't felt since coming in to her power. The physical control didn't help her nervousness however, and the overwhelming need to do _something_ kept her moving to the washrooms on the other end of the floor. She couldn't concentrate on her surroundings however, and was turned around when she walked right into someone very tall.

"S-sorry!" she mumbled before she opened the door to the women's bathroom.

 _"Ichimoku de kono ai wa arimasu ka?"_

She hadn't seen his face, didn't make eye contact and been in too much of a hurry to pay attention to anything except that he was tall-an attribute Becka found attractive in itself-but she was absolutely _sure_ she would have noticed Japanese spoken aloud. She didn't hear it until after she'd stepped through the door, and it was spoken like a whisper, not just a question, but like a secret desire from the heart. And the question was _not_ like something a normal person asked about a stranger they saw at the bar.

It made her salivate.

In the mirror, Becka's eyes looked wild and bloodshot, her skin was flushed and her hair seemed more than just dyed green but a shade that was inhuman. Becka swallowed har, gripping the side of the counter, glad the bathroom was almost empty except for the stalls. In here, it was quiet and her thoughts were her own. For a moment.

She sensed the mind but not the question when the door opened. There was a wisdom and sardonic humor in the mind that was surprised on its own curiosity, an she knew the mind was a male, evaluating her as a female of interest.

Why did she know it was male without looking?

"I don't have time for this." Becka sighed and pushed herself away from the counter. Reaching into her bag she got ready to throw one of the discs to distract him and get away. The man was slightly above average in height, with a strong but lean build and medium brown hair and green eyes. His features were strong and familiar but Becka couldn't place where she'd seen him before.

"I'm not here to hurt you." The man said, holding his hands up and smiling comfortingly. His body language and words said "friendly conversation" but her instincts were telling her something else. They were telling her to feed. She could feel his curiosity, the mysterious aura surrounding her and luring him towards her like a fly in a trap. Humans and fae alike are uniquely curious, the desire of pursuit of knowledge ingrained deeply in the very source of their evolution. Without that, neither humans nor fae would have survived the changing of the world and their environment. It was that instinct that Becka wanted to feed off of now.

"No, you're hear to feel me out. To learn about me." Her own voice sounded foreign to her, but she couldn't stop herself now. A terrible clarity fell over Becka as she was able to concentrate on one mind, rather than being bewildered by so many on the dance floor. "I want a trade. I'll tell you what you want to know, in exchange for a secret."

"I have a lot of secrets. Some you may not want to know." His eyes turned hard, but there was still a burning question in him, and it rubbed him the wrong way to be so entranced and powerless. He had no idea that he could no more ignore her lure than he could change his own nature.

"Not your secrets. Mine." She stepped closer to him, shoving aside the quivering terror of what she was about to do since it didn't compare to her need. She didn't even know what she was saying, but it was a sentence that didn't make sense, which made it the perfect bait. It made him come closer to her, his curiosity overpowering his fear of the unknown and the knowledge of what dealing with other fae could do if one wasn't careful.

"What do you-" He never finished the spoken question. Their eyes locked and Becka finally understood what Bo had told her about feeding when Dyson had realized his adopted daughter wouldn't be feeding off of humans in a physical way. It was more than food, though the pleasure of it was like the most delicious meal she'd ever tasted. It was life itself, more passionate than any kiss she'd ever had and she never touched him.

But she barely got a taste before he fought her off, shaking hard but steadying more with every breath. Before he had a chance to fully recover, Becka ran past him out of the room and didn't stop until she'd gotten to where Vex was waiting.

"Time to go, now!" She exclaimed, grabbing the untouched drink she'd left and downing it in one gulp. Vex didn't stop her or fight when she dragged them out of the building and down the street to his car.

"Alright but you have to drive missy I've got too many under me and Mark'll fillet me if I get another DUI. mind telling me what that was all about? Did you meet the Morrigan?" Vex didn't look too bad, but he was wobbling around a bit more like a pirate Johnny Depp than usual.

"I met his messenger, and I fed off him, and now we have to go before he figures out I left the club." She grabbed his keys before Vex had a chance to drop them and jumped into the car. "Bo never said I'd know what to do instinctively. She said she didn't know what she was doing for _years_ but I knew right away." She kept muttering under her breath as she turned the key and waited impatiently for Vex to get in and buckle up. All the way home she struggled with the desire to feed again since she hadn't had her fill and the terror of what she'd done and what she was still capable of doing.

"Get your hair in order kitten before you end up lopsided." Vex giggled and Becka shushed him as they snuck back into the darkened Dal Riada. She was struggling to undo the multitude of clasps on her choker when the lights inside the bar turned on and Becka wished she'd stayed and dealt with whatever punishment the Morrigan would deal rather than what stood in front of her.

"Hey guys, you have a fun night?" Mark crossed his bulging arms and scowled disapprovingly. "Know the good gossip?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**

 **Jo here! So sorry for the delay! I promise, this isn't (hopefully) going to be a regular thing, massive drama came up and we just managed to get things straightened out and patched up. The next chapter should be up in the next few days, hopefully you like it! Thank you guys for sticking with us while we sort this out :D**

Jo stared at the suitcase in front of her, clothes strewn all over her bed, make up overflowing on her vanity, jewelry laying everywhere, and sighed. I'm going to need help. She closed her eyes, and focused. A tingle ran over her skin and she could feel the energy flowing out of her body, in to the empty space in front of her, solidifying in to solid form. When she opened her eyes, she was staring back at herself, a mirror image in front of her. She sent her copy to the vanity to start sorting out the mess there, while she carefully folded one garment after another, laying them in to her suitcase, not really paying attention to what went in. She'd been packing and unpacking and repacking since she and Becka had rigged the draw, she had to keep busy or she'd go insane. There was no chance at failure, not since she'd managed to convince Venser some time away from daddy do-gooder would help her sway Becka's decision, but that didn't settle her nerves.

Truthfully, she'd never planned to sway Becka, she couldn't bring herself to manipulate her best friend like that, but this was a political game and she had to play it carefully. If Venser found out what she was planning, that she wasn't actually planning on coming back after the exchange or that she was planning on not joining the Dark Fae at all, there would be hell to pay. Her family was powerful, highly respected in the Dark Fae community, with a lot of global influence. Japan was one of the few places they wouldn't be able to reach, at least not easily.

Soon, it'll be over soon, soon we'll be free. She folded her favorite dress – simple and black, that hung on her shoulders by two small straps of fabric, fell to her feet with two slits up to her knees, hugged her curves nicely, and the curved neckline dipped just enough so a small amount of cleavage was visible, without being vulgar. She watched herself pack her makeup through her copy's eyes and she couldn't help recall her first time making her copy, how dizzying it had been seeing through two sets of eyes, the stress she'd had holding on to the form, the surprise of waking up with an exact copy of her face and body in bed beside her. A shudder ran through her body as she remembered, and a knock at her door snapped her out of her thoughts. She winced, barely keeping her copy from disappearing.

"Come in." She called, folding more clothes and tossing them in to a bag. The door opened and her mother, a tall woman with dark hair pulled back in to a tight bun, and dark piercing eyes walked in, still dressed as if she were going to an exchange, her black business suit pristine, her black pumps shone in the light of the room.

"You sure seem certain you are going to be one of the winners." Her mother tilted her head thoughtfully.

"It's better to be prepared than suffer at the last minute. Besides, if I pack now, I don't have to worry about last minute packing later." Jo replied, neither she or her copy looking up from their tasks. She was trying to avoid her mother's gaze, lest she read her daughter's expression and figure everything out.

"By the looks of it, you're not planning on leaving anything behind." Her mother teased, a rare smile showing on her face and Jo let out a practiced chuckle to hude her surprise.

"You never know what sort of situations will come up, and I'd rather not be caught looking like an idiot, after all I will be representing our family." She answered, managing to compose her features and finally looked up.

"Good, we wouldn't want you worrying about frivolous things while you're there." Her mother's smile turned cold and Jo knew exactly what her mother was implying. "You're not a flippant girl, after all."

"Yes, important matters should be attended most studiously" Jo nodded and her mother paused, trying to read her daughters blank expression.

"You received a gift today, from the Morrigan." She finally said, holding out a large box wrapped in shiny black wrapping paper, tied with a thin silver string. Jo's copy by the vanity took the box and slowly opened it, careful not to rip the paper. Jo watched herself open it, seeing everything her copy was seeing. Apprehension crept up her throat. She'd never expected the Morrigan to feel the need to bribe her, so receiving a gift left her with a sense of dread. Under the paper was a thin cardboard box that she flipped open and her jaw dropped. She put the box down and pulled out a vibrant green, strapless dress that would easy fall to her feet when she wore it. From just below her shoulders to the top of her tailbone was black lace, then the green dress fell from her tailbone to the floor. Her copy pulled the gown out so she could admire it from two angles. It was stunning. A glint caught her eye and in the box, under the dress was a smaller silver box. Jo moved to lift the lid off the box. Inside was a pair of obsidian drop earrings on silver chains, and a silver serpent bracelet that would wrap around her bicep. It was breathtakingly beautiful, but she would be expected to wear it when she aligned Dark. She would be expected to align Dark.

"It's lovely." She breathed out. Too bad I'll have to leave it behind.

"It came with a card." Her mother handed her copy the still sealed envelope. Jo carefully opened it, forcing herself to remain calm; she couldn't give away anything right now, not in front of her mother. She pulled out a slip of paper.

 _An investment in what I hope shall be a prosperous partnership._

It wasn't Venser's normal typed card, it was handwritten. The Morrigan had personally written to her. Shit.

"It's from the Morrigan." She said, finally, when she could find the words.

"Well of course it's from the Morrigan. He's always sending gifts to potential recruits. I'm only surprised it took him this long to send you something." Jo could hear her mother rolling her eyes. She handed her mother the card.

"It's handwritten by the Morrigan." She said, barely able to keep her copy from disappearing. Her brain shut down, processing the words on the page. Her mother didn't speak, she simply stared bug-eyed at the note, Jo could hear the wheels in her head turning.

"The Morrigan has taken notice in you." Her mother straightened her shoulders, hard pride gleaming in her eyes. "Your father will be most delighted to hear about this development." With that, she took her leave. Jo slumped on to her bed, and her copy slumped in to the chair in front of her vanity. This complicates things. I won't be able to leave the dress behind, mother won't let me, and if I take it with me, I'll be accepting the Morrigan's offer. If I leave it, I'll be refusing to join him, which will only cause more problems, anyway. I am going to have to make some serious connections in Japan. She sighed.

Jo sat in the audience with Becka, their families standing on either side of the large auditorium. Jo had made sure they had good seats, sending a copy slightly sooner than the gym was supposed to allow, reserving their seats. They sat front row center, clutching each other's hands, Becka in giddiness, Jo in terror. If she didn't win, she didn't know what she would do. She knew Venser would have pulled as many strings as possible, but since the school was neutral grounds, she could only hope it had worked. Even if it hadn't, there is no way they could have fixed Becka's virus, not in time. There is no way we can't win. She tried to reassure herself. The minutes passed by as they made the standard announcements – welcoming the parents, informing them of upcoming events, thanking all the participants, until finally Vice Principle Maslanka took the stage. Everyone applauded politely, even if none of the students meant it.

"Thank you, Mr. Jura, and thank you parents and students for your participation and your patience in this process." She began, her smile dripping sugar and false sincerity. "This selection has not been easy, so many wonderful and deserving candidates entering, it is a shame we only have two slots. After much deliberation, we the faculty have decided the two best students to represent Fitzpatrick's School for the Specially Gifted in this exchange are Becka Thornwood and Jo Callister!" She announced and Becka and Jo jumped to their feet in relief and joy. They ran up on stage where they were handed a package containing their itineraries and plane tickets. Jo could have cried at that moment. It's happening, it's really happening! They were scheduled to leave the following morning, a first class flight straight from the colony to Japan, on a private direct flight. Jo had already packed everything she truly cared about, along with the dress and jewelry from the Morrigan. As Jo and Becka left the auditorium, Jo spotted Venser in a secluded corner, eyes fixed on her. He gave her a small subtle nod, and she smirked and nodded back. She needed this plan to work, if Venser or the Morrigan were to find out she was planning, she'd be dead meat. When they were outside, Jo managed to find her parents through the crowd and pulled them aside.

"I believe this means congratulations are in order. Though, was there any doubt you would not win?" Her mother asked and Jo let slip a secretive smirk. Her father just stood there, beaming down at her. It was strange, she'd never seen him proud of her before. A knife twisted in her gut.

"Before we won, I had a meeting with Venser. He asked me a favour on behalf of the Morrigan, that I help them convince Becka to join the Dark. I was hoping I could use this opportunity as an advantage, since we'll both be out of reach of both courts, they won't be able to influence her. I believe he was able to pull strings, and convince the right people Becka and I would be the best choice to go. That being said, I was hoping to start tonight. By spending the night at the Dal Riada to have a sleepover at Becka's. As well, I'm sure the Morrigan would take notice if I could sway her under her own Light-loving father's nose." Jo straightened herself, meeting her parents gaze with determination and confidence.

"Is this why you were so hell-bent on packing early? How long have you been planning this?" Her mother asked, tilting her head in amused curiosity.

"Since we entered." Jo lied fluidly. "If we didn't win, I'd have had to come up with another strategy." Jo shrugged.

"That is a good plan, but I don't like the idea of my daughter going in to that place alone." Her father stated, worry lines crossing his brow.

"I'll be fine dad. It's neutral ground, so no Fae will touch me, and besides I'll be with Becka, whose father owns the pub and who isn't willing to start a feud between the clans any time soon. If I need help, I won't hesitate to call, alright?" Jo asked, keeping her voice steady and reassuring.

"Very well." Her father relented. Jo hugged her father.

"Thank you father!" She beamed, as she pulled out her phone to send off the text. Sleepover at your place tonight? She hit send, before turning her gaze to her best friend, surrounded by her over protective father and brother. She watched Becka pull out her phone and text a quick reply before turning to talk to her father. One sec. Jo waited as she watched Becka plead with the shapeshifter, before he sighed. Becka's face lit up, which Jo took as approval and a text message a moment confirmed it. Yep, it's good! He's going to take us to the airport tomorrow, I told him it would be easier that way. Jo's fingers tapped against her screen as she sent another message. Just have to grab my things, meet you at Dal? She waited. Sounds good.

A few hours and a quick meal later, Jo and her copy were yanking her overstuffed bags from the car, hugging her parents good bye for the last time, and making their way in to the Dal Riada. She ignored the eyes on her, glaring, scowling, and eyeing her up and down.

"Dyson, ever a pleasure." She forced a smile. It wouldn't do any good to piss him off tonight. The shapeshifter eyed her warily.

"She's downstairs." He replied, about as nice as he'd ever be to her.

"Thanks." She forced a smiled in response, before dragging her cargo down the stairs, through the strangely warm and cozy basement under the bar, to her friend's room. She banged on the door and Becka opened, looking taller than usual, her features sharper and more defined than usual, and she almost looked like she was glowing. "What are you so happy about?" She asked, dragging her bags past her friend, to the corner of the room, stepping over the old mattress and blankets that had been dropped in the middle of the room.

"Um hello? Were you not at the ceremony today? We're going to Japan!" She squealed.

"Are you still on about that?" Jo teased. "As if there were any other choices, no one can beat your viruses, darling." She smirked.

"Sorry if I'm a little excited to be leaving the country! I don't even care that Mark is going to be chaperoning!" Her smile faded at the end, and Jo stared at her.

"What do you mean Mark's chaperoning?" She asked. "When did the school decide that? And why weren't we informed?"

"It was more of a 'Dyson decided' thing. And they did say we would have a chaperon, it's also in the instruction package. It won't be a huge deal, I doubt we'll even know he's there." Becka shrugged.

"Yeah, right." Jo rolled her eyes. This doesn't change anything, we'll just have to ditch the panther. "Remember when he chaperoned your first date? What was it you said? 'He's ruining my life, I'm never going to get to have any fun, I hate him'." Jo raised a brow.

"Yeah, well I'm older now. He's going to have to realize that I need more freedom." Becka shrugged.

"We are talking about the same person, right? He's never going to leave us alone, especially if we're going to be surrounded by humans." Jo scoffed. Becka's features suddenly looked less defined, her hair started to frizz and she started to shrink back to her normal size.

"I know, I guess I was just trying to enjoy the idea while it lasted." She shrugged. Ah fuck. Jo cursed herself.

"Well, that just means we'll have to be sneakier, doesn't it?" She looped her arm around her friends shoulder and winked. Becka grinned.

"Definitely." With that the girls changed in to their pajamas's and crawled in to their beds, though sleep was the last thing on their minds, they stayed up until the wee hours whispering about how they would ditch Mark, all the things they'd see, the people they'd meet and the things they'd do.

The alarm clock blared much too loudly and far too early for Jo. She groaned and went to swat the offending item, before she realized it wasn't coming from her nightstand, and she wasn't at home. A moment of panic set in before she remembered. I'm at Becka's, at the Dal Riada. Nobody kidnapped me. She groaned as she sat up, three different springs biting in to her back. She stretched her arms over her head, before glancing up at Becka, who was half falling out of bed. That girl could sleep through the apocalypse. Jo shook her head. Sleeping Becka currently had short, blue hair, pointed ears, and her legs were jerking like she was running a marathon. No wonder the girl can stay in shape so easily. Jo smirked. A small voice in her head urged her to tug Becka's arm and let her roll out of the bed, but the part that didn't want to deal with Mark or Dyson this early in the morning decided against it. Instead she got dressed in a basic red t-shirt and dark jeans, then she shoved Becka back on to the bed.

"Hey sleepy, time to get up!" She called to the girl in front of her. Becka groaned and buried her head under her pillow. "Fine, sleep, but you'll miss the plane to Japan." Jo shrugged and Becka bolted upright, the pillow flying to the other end of the bed.

"I'm up! I'm up!" She blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to the light. Jo laughed as her still groggy friend pulled herself out of bed.

"Get dressed, smells like Dyson made a 'going away' breakfast, and I'm starved." Jo licked her lips.

"You're willing to eat Dyson's cooking? You must be hungry." Becka laughed.

"Smells like pancakes, bacon and eggs. It's hard to screw those up." Jo shrugged and Becka rolled her eyes, as she pulled on a cute yellow sun dress, they brushed their hair and teeth, before heading out to the kitchen.

"Morning dad!" Becka chirped, giving Dyson a hug. He half hugged her back, as he focused on flipping pancakes.

"Morning princess." He gave her a kiss on the head, and a full hug once the pancakes had been successfully flipped. He turned his attention to Jo and gave a small grunt of acknowledgement in her direction. Jo gave a slight nod back. Becka gave him a gentle jab in the side.

"Be nice." She whispered.

Before Dyson could respond, the door to the loft swung open and in walked Jo's second least favorite shapeshifter on the planet. And his boyfriend. Jo stiffened as Mark and Vex walked in the room, her feet glued to the floor and found herself unable to turn her attention away from the Dark Fae that liked to play so loose with the rules. She felt her face flush when he caught her gaze. She felt her fingers clenching themselves in to fists, as she tried to force herself to look anywhere but at him.

"Jo? Breakfast is ready." Becka gently tried to tug Jo from her spot where she'd rooted herself on the floor, shaking Jo out of her trance. She willingly followed her friend in to the kitchen, trying to hide her humiliation. He must think I'm such an idiot! Pull yourself together, girl! I'm better than this, I'm in control. She repeated the mantra as Vex and Mark sat across from her and Becka, respectively, with Dyson seated at the head of the small round table. Becka and Dyson monopolized most of the conversation, so Jo felt free to keep her eyes on her plate, looking up only every so often to interject a point, or to agree with Becka, though she was only half paying attention to the conversation going on. She made a strict point, however, of ignoring the delicious Fae directly in front of her, though that was easy enough as he only seemed to be listening to the conversation, not really commenting. When everyone was finished, Jo helped Becka clear the dishes off the table.

"Thank you for breakfast, and for having me over." She forced out.

"Don't mention it." Dyson replied. "We'll be leaving as soon as I finish the dishes." He stated, filling the sink with soap and warm water.

"Do you need a hand?" Jo asked, out of courtesy.

"Don't worry about it." Dyson replied waved her off and Jo gave a stiff nod, before making her way out of the kitchen to grab her bags.

About fifteen minutes later, Jo had formed a copy and she and Becka were carrying their bags down to the car. Well, cars. Becka would be riding with Dyson and Mark, Jo would be riding with Vex. She wanted to argue, wanted to beg Dyson to let her ride in his car, but she was better than that. She packed her bags in the trunk and backseat, dissolved her copy and took her seat in the passenger's seat. It was a long drive to the airport, with Jo feigning avid interest in her itinerary. Every so often Vex would try to start a conversation, but Jo refused to answer with anything other than one word answers.

When they arrived, Jo formed her copy and the two of them gathered her bags while Becka said goodbye to her family. Unsurprisingly, her parents hadn't shown up to see her off. They did have a big deal going down later. They loaded her luggage in the belly of the plane, except for a small backpack Jo insisted on keeping. She walked up the steps and almost gasped at the interior. She was used to extravagant, but this was amazing! A plush crimson carpet, with deep red velvet covered the walls. A bar sat at the tail end of the plane, on the right. Large plush leather seats that looked like they could easily swallow three of her, each, lined the left hand walls, facing a built in high-def, flat screen TV sat across from the seats, with video game consoles strapped in underneath, along with piles of games, and at the end of the plane by the bar on the left, there were two double beds.

"Move it, girly, or we're going to miss take off!" Becka joked from behind her. Shaking herself out of her awe, Jo stepped in, so Becka could take in the sight. When Becka stepped in, she got the same look of awe Jo had just had. "Woah." She breathed out. Jo tugged her inside so Mark could follow, and the doors could close behind them.

"Good morning, and welcome." A steward drew their attention. "We'll be taking off in just a few moments, if you'll take your seats. You are more than welcome to move about the plane after we've leveled out, of course." The man smiled. He wasn't Fae, probably a pet of the Ash's.

"Any chance I could get a snack?" Jo waggled her fingers.

"Of course, but first I must insist you take your seats and buckle in for take off." The steward smiled. Becka and Jo grabbed their seats, right in front of the TV, while Mark sat more towards the cock pit, probably to give them some space, but more likely to get a little space. Jo fastened her seatbelt and closed her eyes. The chairs were so soft, she imagined it would be what sitting on a cloud would feel like. She felt the plane move, slowly at first, then faster as it picked up speed and seamlessly they were in the air. She stared out the window, in awe of their surroundings. She'd never been in a plane before, and the view as they ascended was breathtaking. People, houses, towers, all disappearing until the land below looked like nothing more than a quilted blanket.

"Thank you for your patience, it is now safe for you to unfasten your seatbelts." A voice over the intercom chimed. The steward from earlier came out from the back of the plane with a girl about Jo's age. "Unfortunately we're not allowed to let you feed off the staff, for obvious reasons, so the Ash and the Morrigan have kindly offered a selection of their pets." The steward informed them with a smile that was starting to become a little creepy to Jo.

They passed the time eating, feeding-although Becka politely declined the pets offered and didn't feed at all-playing video games and watching movies before finally sleeping. When they were jolted awake by the landing, Jo looked out the window, and was greeted by six of the most attractive males she'd ever seen.


	5. Chapter 5

By the time they'd landed in Tokyo, Becka knew that everything had gone completely wrong, and she could pinpoint it back to the terrible decision to go to Carpe Noctem that night with Vex. Getting caught by Mark wasn't bad enough, no-he'd agreed to keep quiet as long as they both were willing to keep him in the loop whenever they had any future dealings with the Morrigan or any other Dark fae, so she'd practically got lucky there (She'd told neither of them about the incident in the bathroom). Becka hadn't minded the idea as long as Vex was around to keep her brother calm, but Vex wasn't coming.

Bo wasn't willing to risk smuggling a mesmer through the borders where their hands-preferably severed first-were valued so highly on the black market. One source of defense gone.

"A tourist trap where you can visit the remains of my second-cousin Tina's left thumb isn't exactly my dream holiday." Was the only response anyone could get out of Vex; even Mark.

Another layer of her self security vanished when her online pen-pal in Tokyo went offline without notice three days before their flight and hadn't returned, even to check in. This worried Becka even more because her pen-pal was human and therefore free game for hungry fae, since Becka couldn't claim a human's protection outside her own territory.

Then there was Dyson, who was understandably if irrationally unhappy about his daughter and her only fae friend (whom her father thought was a bad influence) flying to another country on the other side of the world. He didn't mention the whole thing was likely rigged, and Becka had the feeling if "The Monster" had noticed something was up, she'd be too ashamed to admit she couldn't recover the lost files than tell anyone who could actually do it. Becka smirked to herself pridefully at the thought of the Vice Principal slamming her fists on a keyboard and cussing. She wouldn't be able to track down where the Lesbain Love Hotline had gotten hold of her personal _and_ work numbers, either.

Even without evidence of foul play, her dad was furious, seething right below the surface as they drove home after the ceremony. Becka wished at once that Bo was there at the ceremony, or that she had the succubus' ability to calm the wolf down in almost any situation. The only thing that snapped him out of the low growl he probably didn't notice he was making was when Becka asked him if she could invite Jo for a sleepover, and if he could drive them to the airport in the morning.

"Her parents are usually too busy to do much for her." She said, keeping her voice low and sad. Her adopted father had a soft spot for a neglected child, even "the Callister girl" was no exception. He softened until they made the next turn and he tried one last time to convince Becka she wasn't ready to travel so far from home, even with company and for six months.

Inwardly she chafed and fought the urge to scream at him that she wasn't five years old asking to go to her friend's slumber party across town.

"Twelve hours isn't a lot of time to get everything you'll need" he was quick to point out. "like wigs and such for when you can't keep form." She'd had to ignore the dig underneath the words; that she wasn't strong enough, or skilled enough or smart enough to make it out there. After years of learning how much her adopted father respected and valued strength, hearing him speak as if she was a weakling child hurt deeply inside her chest.

She swallowed bile. "After our talk earlier this week, I thought it would be a good idea to be prepared, just in case. So Aunt Kenzi and I worked on everything I need and it should be ready by now. We've got a couple hours before Jo comes by why don't we head down there now?" Becka looked at Dyson meaningfully. When he didn't return her glance, she added. "Mark should have enough warning to pack as well, he's done enough travelling on his own to have experience." she almost regretted it instantly; the return dig which meant that he'd already agreed and his conditions were being met, but her father had different memories behind his eyes now.

She didn't ask to drive when they turned the direction to head toward's Kenzi's place instead of home, even though she knew the route better. Becka wasn't supposed to know how to drive, since she didn't have her license. Of the many things she'd ended up doing behind his back, driving was something the rest of her extended family had been surprisingly supportive of. Kenzi had taught her to drive automatic; Bo had taught her stick; even Mark had taken her off-roading last summer. Becka knew how to avoid the pot-holes in the road without breaking any bylaws even better than her dad-not that he knew that.

"Aunt Kenzi!" Becka yelled through the huge and ostentatious foyer, rudely ignoring the well-dressed and too-adorable-to-be-straight butler standing by the door. He was obviously new, and human on top of it. At home, Becka was taught to treat humans she met with respect and wariness in equal parts, but most humans dealing with fae were used to a certain type of treatment and acted squeamish otherwise, so this one might as well learn fast. Kenzi was human too, of course, but she was special here in the colony, and in the world as well. The very first to walk among the fae and not be formally claimed by one.

"AUNT KENZI! I know you're home!" Becka shouted again, still ignoring the nervous young man, who was politely desperate in his attempts to take her jacket while she clutched it between her crossed arms greedily. Let him think she was a spoiled brat of a child, she thought; he would get much harsher treatment from other fae guests if he didn't learn to become hard. Kenzi couldn't protect him from fae aristocracy, even if she did save him from little more than slavery-as she did all of the servants who worked in her house.

"Don't call me Aunt sweetie, it makes me feel old." The short woman with impossibly long blond hair practically materialized in the foyer, at the same time her dad stepped through the front door-without assistance or taking of his coat either, to the dismay of the young butler-and smiled warmly at his friend.

"And Dyson, just looking at your immortally gorgeous self makes me feel ancient." She sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes, dismissing the butler gently. The dismay on his face made Becka giggle. "Oh well, get in here let's do this in my office. I hope you've got some better manners in your back pocket for when you get to Japan, girl"

Dyson looked incredulous. "Kenzi, you have a office?"

Kenzi snorted. "Any room not designated for eating, sleeping or hygiene I call whatever I damned well please," She retorted and led them through several corridors until reaching a plain locked door. "and this room, I call my office." she unlocked the door and ushered them inside quickly. Once all three of them were in, Kenzi locked the door again.

Becka stared around her at the cavernous room filled with tables and machines she couldn't fathom the purpose of. "Aunt-I mean Kenzi! This is more like a laboratory than some boring old office!"

The woman beamed at her, her blue eyes flashing. "I call it an office so that curious eyes don't go wandering. I have several similar offices around the house, most of them look like what you'd expect, but a few are more-interesting. One is a playroom, even." She winked at Becka, but Dyson's eyes narrowed and his face set in a grimace.

Becka blinked. "What's a playroom? Are there video games in there or something?"

At the same time Kenzi said "You'll learn when you're older." Dyson said, just a bit harsher and louder, "You don't need to know."

Becka fought back too hard of a laugh, she knew what Kenzi had meant, but her dad's response was too funny to resist. There wouldn't be much time to have any fun with her extended family after tonight, only another year before she moved to Tokyo permanently, then she would have little to no contact with her aunts, and her Dad and Mark and even Vex. The thought was a sobering one, and she calmed down easier to focus on the reason they'd come.

The ride to the Dal Riada with a suitcase full of supplies was tense, the only noise the whistling of the wind through a cracked open window. Becka didn't even feel the desire to drive the car, but she stole glances at Dyson and fervently wished she could read minds so she knew what he was thinking.

Jo arrived just when she'd finished packing her bags, and was full of her own tense pessimism. Becka's best friend didn't appreciate the chaperoning arrangements-though that might be more about Vex not going with them than Mark hanging around too much-but it was her reminder that they would be pretty much surrounded by humans the whole duration that brought down a bit of the wall she'd begun erecting around herself since she left Kenzi's.

 _"She can't ever reveal her real self to a human. For their own safety."_

The sleepover was spent basically just distracting themselves and babbling over the trip, and her dad even made a surprise breakfast. Jo was excited about it, which surprised Becka, as she knew the gemini was a _very_ picky eater.

"You're willing to eat Dyson's cooking?" Becka raised her eyebrows. She only called her dad by his name when she was alone with Jo, as she'd been encouraged to once she revealed she was adopted.

Dyson himself looked ridiculous in a daisy-patterned apron and pancake batter splotched his cheek. "Morning, princess." He said and hugged her tightly when they both came upstairs to the kitchen. He kissed her forehead and smiled widely when he noticed Becka was wearing a dress he'd picked out on their annual father-daughter shopping trip.

"You never call me 'Princess' anymore." Becka grumbled under her breath when they hugged.

"I do, too." He scrunched his nose in a funny face.

Becka snorted. "Not since I was six."

Dyson grunted and turned towards Jo stiffly.

"Be nice," Becka warned as the two greeted each other. Would those two ever get along?

Dyson spent the entirety of the morning insinuating nothing about Becka had changed since she was in preschool, and he called her "princess" very chance he got. Becka spent it trying vainly to remind him that she was a teenager and there was nothing about that to be avoided and today was the worst time to be reverting like this. Thanks to some surprising support from Mark and despite the blatant agreement from Jo to anything Becka said, Dyson finally backed off, with a look in his eyes mirroring a very little bit of wounded pride.

Blasting loud music through headphones, both Becka and Mark avoided any more awkward conversation during the ride to the airport, though Becka had a feeling Mark had only supported her because he had his own piece to say later, and she wouldn't be able to escape him 30,000 feet above the ground. He had his own secrets to hide from their father, and their goodbyes were warm, but strained. Mark immediately retreated into a separate compartment near the cockpit of the plane.

The plane was some kind of personal jet, more luxurious and over-the-top than anything Beckka had ever seen. Becka wondered who it belonged to, since there was no way the school itself could have afforded these kinds of accommodation for a couple students and their chaperon. The Ouran students had their own flight prepared-probably leaving shortly themselves-but Becka had a feeling this plane had been "borrowed" from a friend of Bo's. Everything was covered in red velvet, and though Becka could tell it had been cleaned, the faint smell of pheromones saturated some surfaces.

Immediately after takeoff, Becka had excused herself to the restroom, claiming airsickness and needing to try out her new cosmetic supplies, since there was no way she could avoid whatever jet lag would do to her appearance once she landed. While Jo snacked on the human pets offered, the excuse of stomach cramps wasn't too far from the truth as visions from an ancient fae medical text swam in front of Becka's eyes.

 _"What is that? A zombie?" Becka asked, a little disturbed._

 _"It's a human that's been drained by the feeding of a chameleon. By one of your kind, Becka."_

 _"Well, what happens when a chameleon doesn't fully drain a human?"_

 _"I don't know. We haven't found any records of a human surviving a Chameleon feeding. They're a very discreet race, even the under-fae subspecies are incredibly good at covering their tracks."_

 _And what about feeding off of other fae?_

Becka knew that as soon as she'd told Kenzi and her dad about her hunger awakening, she couldn't tell anyone about what really happened at Carpe Noctem. Then, learning what they'd finally uncovered, Becka vowed no one would ever know she'd fed off another fae. There was actually little chance that man knew who she was, since she'd been so out of it and had shifted so far out of her normal range that night. No way to prove she'd broken one of the most basic laws that kept the fae clans from tearing each other apart, and she'd do whatever it took to keep it that way.

Clutching tightly to the sides of the bathroom vanity, Becka felt an ironic sense of appreciation. If there was any way to know for sure that the cosmetic supplies Kenzi and Dr Lewis had developed, it would be now when she already looked so different from normal-with Becka, the term "green around the gills" was a bit more literal-her hair had become limp and pale greenish, her skin pallid and the only things that stood out were greenish freckles across her face, neck and chest that wouldn't fade even when she tried.

"Here goes," Becka muttered to herself, determined to distract herself from what she couldn't change. Once she had finished, The girl inspected herself, satisfied with the realism, she felt a bit more relaxed, and much more in control. She waited till she couldn't sense the human buffet anymore and stepped out of the bathroom confidently.

"So, what do you think? do I look the same?" She asked Jo, who was sitting comfortably in front of a large shelf filled with video games and movies.

Jo looked at her and cocked one eyebrow skeptically. "Are you even shifted at all under all that?" Becka blushed, and kicked herself for wanting to shift back before she left the bathroom.

After a minute of concentration, she smiled "there, now, anything?"

Jo shook her head, but before she managed to say anything Becka got an idea. "Wait! Look away for a few seconds and then look back." When she did and Becka concentrated, her friend squinted at her, hard.

"You look normal, calm even. What did you change?"

"Just about everything, I grew a few inches, changed my hair and eye color; this wig doesn't even shift when my hair curls or changes color, pretty cool, huh?"

Laughing, her best friend nodded. "It looks perfect. Hey do you want to check out this action flick? It's not even supposed to be out yet, since it just left theaters." She held up a case, and Becka stared open-mouthed.

"I-I've seen that guy before. Who is he?" Becka didn't get out to see movies often, especially over the summer.

"Brian Heathcliffe," Jo said with a predatory grin. "He's only the hottest Fae actor in this hemisphere. There was also a ton of juicy gossip over the summer of him becoming the Morrigan."

Becka's mouth went dry and she forced herself to swallow, hard. "Really?" She managed to choke out, "is he?"

Jo's laugh was high-pitched and a little nervous, Becka thought. "I've never met him, the Morrigan I mean." she added almost too low for Becka to catch, "I think only Venser and a few others really know for sure."

Becka felt her entire body shifting and her skin tingled a bit underneath the cosmetic. If the rumours, were true, She'd already met the Morrigan. And she'd fed off him. Not only had she done the unthinkable and fed of another Fae, without knowing the consequences, but she'd fed off the damn _leader of the Dark Fae._ Which was about the same as putting a gun to her head. The moment she returned home, Becka's life would be forfeit.

Apparently the cosmetic was working just as well as Kenzi said it would, because her best friend didn't react at all to the shifting of guilt and terror that Becka could _feel_ all over her body. The man might not have known who she was, but the _Morrigan_? He'd have the resources to at least figure out she was probably some sort of shifter. Becka wracked her brain, trying to figure out how to get around the scanners she knew were at the Tokyo airport for Fae immigrants and tourists. If she'd had access to a lab like Kenzi's she might have been able to throw something together that _might_ confuse the scanners. she'd followed the development of them close enough over the last year via scientific journals that Dr. Lewis gave her to know just about exactly how they worked and could probably exploit their weak spots if she had the time and resources, but ten hours hundreds of thousands of miles in the air wasn't nearly what Becka would call an ideal research environment. Not to mention she had to keep Jo feeling like everything was normal if she even wanted to get as far as the damn scanners-Her family was too connected with the International community of Dark Fae. She was distracted throughout the flight, and barely looked up from her random spot on the wall of the plane until they were landing, and Jo grabbed her arm and forcefully dragged Becka to a window.

"We're supposed to stay seated," the girl protested, a lot weaker than her stomach was at the moment.

"Shut up, you have to see these guys." Jo pointed, "over there! Are they a boy band or something? what's with the limousine?" Becka's stomach stopped complaining and simply dropped out of her stomach when she saw the cold, black vehicle and the men beside it. _I'm too late, they've already found me._ She thought and wondered if she could shift herself to look like a copy of Jo, or if she could explain enough to the girl without blowing her secret. Six of them, all young and all at least part Japanese, waving at them!

And then suddenly Becka saw the other plane taking off in the distance, and watched the boy's gaze follow the small plane taking off and leaving the arispace. She sighed heavily, suddenly realizing she'd been holding her breath. "Looks like they're seeing someone off." She continued to watch them as one by one they got into the limousine, while behind her Mark told them it was time to disembark.

"I'll be right there, just going to grab some stuff I left in the washroom." Becka said distractedly as Jo bounced away ahead of Mark.

 _So this is it, this is Tokyo._ She peered over the small part of the city she could see-possibly the only part she would get to see-from her window before a familiar voice broke her out of her reverie.

"Come on, love! Time to pop off and get all of our cavities checked." Becka whirled around and gaped at Vex, who was wearing a skimpy and obviously made-for-a-dance-club captain's uniform.


	6. Chapter 6

Jo stood outside the apartments as the chauffer unloaded her bags, her eyes wide with horror and mouth agape.

"No, no this has to be a mistake. This is a fae exchange, and fae don't live in apartments, especially apartments crawling with humans!" Jo managed to choke out, trying to understand the scene before her.

"Just think of it like staying at the Dal." Becka tried to cheer her friend up.

"Were you not informed? Ouran is a human inclusiveschool, and Miss Fujioka is one of those humans, one of our scholarship students." Their escort explained.

"And they expect me to live here with these humans? Cut off from other fae?" Jo's eyes lit up suddenly, "Snack buffet whenever I'm hungry?" Becka swatted her arm.

"Nonsense, that is why you have chaperones." He stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh no, there is only one chaperone, and he'll be focused on Becka." Jo grinned, her new living situation suddenly seeming not so bad.

"Well that is unacceptable, we shall have to arrange something." Suddenly a taxi pulled up and, as if fate were out to get her, Vex stepped out in a club-worthy captain's uniform.

"Sorry I'm late, got a little bit turned around." He shrugged. "Turns out, I don't speak a lick of Japanese, who knew?"

"I'm sorry, who are you?" The man asked, eyeing Vex, trying to decide whether he should call the police or not.

"This is our second chaperone. It was a last minute decision." Becka piped up. The man eyed Vex warily.

"I'm sure you have some kind of paperwork to confirm this?" The man asked.

"It was so last minute, there wasn't a chance. A little slip up regarding the little poppet's feeding habits, which I admit can be a little excessive, made them decide one chaperone wasn't enough." Vex said matter-of factly, as if he and Becka had rehearsed this.

"Vice Principle Maslanka called ahead to confirm it. I was there when she made the call." Jo added, catching on quickly. "She was speaking to Chairman Suoh, he was supposed to make sure everyone here knew."

The man rolled his eyes "That would explain some things." He muttered. "Still, you expect me to believe a man dressed like that is your chaperone?" He asked.

"I'm an actor, duh. I'm running late as it is, I've still got to head off to an audition." Vex stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and started spouting off lines in a language Jo didn't understand but knew couldn't be Japanese, dramatically. The man looked like he was going to argue, so Jo interrupted him.

"If you don't believe us, you can always call Chairman Suoh and ask. I'm sure he won't mind you interrupting whatever important thing he's doing to tell you exactly what we just told you." Jo shrugged. The man hesitated.

"I will speak to the chairman later, I'm sure it was just a miscommunication." The man decided. "For now, since no one seems to be objecting, he may stay." He stated. "As long as you remember that you're here to keep an eye on the students, and ensure they don't get in trouble." He narrowed his eyes.

"But of course. Nothing will escape me." Vex waved his hand, dismissing the notion.

"I suppose I shall see you all on Monday, when I come to bring you to school." Their escort said, sliding into the car with Becka. "By the way, I don't believe I caught your name?" He asked, as he was about to close the door.

"Gideon" Jo piped up, the name escaping before she could catch herself. "Gideon Beleren." She added. The man made a note and closed the door. The car drove away and Jo chanced a glance at Vex, who was cocking a brow at her.

"It was the first thing that popped in to my head and I panicked." She admitted with a shrug, trying to feign indifference. "Besides, it's not like you came up with anything better." She retorted, before she made a copy and the three lugged their bags up, looking for the Fujioka's apartment.

"Are you Jo?" A voice came from behind them. Jo turned around and there was a woman with long brown hair peeking out of the apartment two down from where they stood.

"Are you Ryoji Fujioka?" She asked.

"Please, call me Ranka. Come in, come in." The woman mumbled something in Japanese and ushered Jo and Vex in. "Who is he?"She pointed to Vex, narrowing his eyes.

"This is V-er-Gideon. He's one of the chaperones for the exchange."

"I wasn't told I'd have to house a chaperone." Ranka crossed her arms and reminded Jo of a pouting teenager.

"He's just here to make sure I don't accidentally kill everyone." Jo replied and Ranka's eyes widened.

"You would do that?" She asked, worried.

"Not on purpose. I'm still learning to control everything. That's why he's here, to help." Jo put her suitcase down, her arms suddenly tired.

"Well, I only have two rooms, so he'll be staying with me." Ranka's eyes narrowed again and Jo was trying not to laugh as Vex just stood there uncomfortably. Ranka led Jo to her room, and let Vex drop his things off in Ranka's room. "I'm sure you're exhausted, so I'll leave you to unpack. The bathroom is across the hall. Unfortunately, I have to get to work, so here's my cell phone number, and a spare key if you need anything." Ranka handed the key and a piece of paper. "Have a good evening!" She grabbed her bag and ran out the door.

"Humans are so weird." Jo stared at the door for a moment, before dropping her bags in her room, grabbing her backpack and heading for the door.

"And where do you think you're heading?" Vex asked, leaning against the doorpost, blocking her exit. Jo's breath hitched in her throat.

"Well, I was going to explore the area, get a sense of what's what, see if there are any Fae joints around, maybe find a club to relax in." Jo tried to keep her thoughts together, to keep from imagining running her fingers over his…No, stop! Focus. How am I supposed to live with him for the entire exchange? "And I'm sure you have something better to do than escort me around. Becka and Mark should be getting settled in the place now." Jo tapped her chin. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind a visit." She added with a grin.

"Not even here ten minutes and you're trying to ditch me?" Vex smirked. "Give me your phone." He held out his hand.

"What? Why?" Jo asked, taken aback.

"Just give it to me." He stood upright. With a sigh Jo unlocked her phone and handed it to the Mesmer. He pulled out his phone, tapped on the screen, then handed her phone back. "I put my number in, if you need anything. I also have yours, just in case. If you're going to go off on your own, at least you can contact me if you get in trouble." He moved out of the way, and gestured her forward. Jo's brow furrowed.

"And what do you get out of this?" She asked, warily.

"Alone time with my boyfriend." Vex grinned and waggled his brows.

"Ugh whatever." Jo rolled her eyes and headed out of the house, trying very hard not to picture Mark and Vex… with handcuffs… Fuck! Focus. Ok think. We have our wallet, our ID's, we have Ranka's number and the apartment key, phone, and a change of clothes. Where should I hit up first? She pulled out her phone and pulled up her map. Nothing Fae in the vicinity. Seriously? The closest club is eight blocks away. Still, could be worse. She slipped her phone in her pocket and headed toward club Love Vortex.

After eight blocks, and a few wrong turns, Jo stood in front of a large red brick building, with a red and pink "Love Vortex" sign lit up over the steel doors. The bouncer said something Jo equated to "ID please", so she flashed him her fake and walked in.

Lights flashed, and it reminded Jo of Carpe Noctem, and a twinge inside her made her feel slightly homesick. Well, I'm going to have to get used to it. She walked in and made her way to the bar.

"Do you speak English?" She asked the bartender.

"I do." The bartender replied simply, as he wiped out a cup.

"Can I get a rum and coke?" She asked and he quickly poured the drink. The club was pretty empty, it was still too early for most club goers, the perfect time to get a good buzz going.


End file.
